1980’s 531 Carless (built in Crewe) - retro-mod build - more photos!

[velocipede]

I recently bought this on ebay from @colnagokid, who is the original owner........pressure of multiple projects on the go meant I had considered ditching it and moving it on again but sense has prevailed and I'm starting the build process.

I have just completed a retro-mod build of a very slightly later Swinnerton (see here) and will be doing this one to almost exactly the same retro-mod spec. I recently acquired a couple of Dolan roadbikes from an older couple who were moving on to e-bikes so I have exactly the same 10 speed SRAM Apex groupset and wheels to go on this, along with nice Nitto bars and quill stem and some NOS Gran Compe nutted brake calipers......all parts are already sat on the bench and ready to go so I'll be getting this together over the next week or so - it'll have downtube cable stops and a front mech clamp to accommodate the modernish groupset - looking forward to being able to compare it to the Swinnerton, which was built just down the road from this at Longstaffs in Stoke!


Will post updates but for now here's the frame, forks, headset as it stands:

 

[Frankenorange]

This is going to look top drawer when finished. Are you also going modern on the wheels? Not too deep arbon rims can look pretty good on old frames.

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

Very nice frame that. Look forward to seeing the bike.

 

[velocipede]

@Frankenorange - the wheels are a bit low rent but exactly the same as on the Swinnerton - only Tiagra hubs on “not sure what” rims but the roll well and are pretty robust so they’ll do the job for now - I might set to with a hairdryer to remove the decals on both sets to make them look a bit smarter - the groupset looks the biz though and with a compact chainset it makes these bikes eminently rideable now (how I managed back in the day with a 42-52 and 21 sprocket I’ve no idea!!!)

The silver seatpost I have is a bit worse for wear so I may have to source another if I can’t smarten it up, we’ll see - also a small problem with the Gran Compe calipers - as per most nutted brakes of the day, the caliper arm is on the right (not left like Campag - even early Shimano 600 were like this) so I’m going to end up with some interesting cable routing for the rear brake as the cable stops run down the othe side of the top tube - I’m sure it’ll be fine, just might look a bit odd!

 

[Frankenorange]

@Frankenorange - the wheels are a bit low rent but exactly the same as on the Swinnerton - only Tiagra hubs on “not sure what” rims but the roll well and are pretty robust so they’ll do the job for now - I might set to with a hairdryer to remove the decals on both sets to make them look a bit smarter - the groupset looks the biz though and with a compact chainset it makes these bikes eminently rideable now (how I managed back in the day with a 42-52 and 21 sprocket I’ve no idea!!!)

Through my own extensive research; i have discovered that gravity has actually increased since 52/42 x 14-28 was the norm. Bizarrely the change tracks perfectly with age and weight.

 

[velocipede]

Through my own extensive research; i have discovered that gravity has actually increased since 52/42 x 14-28 was the norm. Bizarrely the change tracks perfectly with age and weight.

In the early 80's at the height of my "proper" racing I managed to find a Suntour 7 speed block with a 23 bottom sprocket - these were brand new and a really rare thing at the time - the retailers had a board in the workshop with all the sprockets and could build you a custom block - my dad had this one built for me for the Div Champs which was to be held on a hilly circuit (Horse & Jockey circuit near Oldham for anyone who knows it) - the amazing thing, now I look back on it, is that I had this built so I could get away with not changing off the big ring all day!!! (I won, so I guess the plan worked!)

I wouldn't get round that circuit now on a 34 x 23 never mind on a 52!!!

 

[velocipede]

Starting to come together now - the NOS Gran Compe brakes arrived today and look really smart - the seatpost isn't too rough now I've given it a bit of wet n dry treatment - and the build will start in anger over the next few days, so all good so far.....

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

That is going to be lovely. I'm impressed I resisted it's obvious charm.

 

[Frankenorange]

Starting to come together now - the NOS Gran Compe brakes arrived today and look really smart - the seatpost isn't too rough now I've given it a bit of wet n dry treatment - and the build will start in anger over the next few days, so all good so far.....

Looking smart!

 

[otherself]

Nice frame. Shot in stays, sporty lugs, vertical dropouts, fag paper clearance at rear wheel. Wonder if it was intended for TT use BITD?

Are you going with a baby blue repaint or something else? Replica downtube decals would be hard to source, but the font is Microgramma d extended bold.